Paralyzed Rockford man jailed on DUI and reckless homicide charges

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Rockford Register Star

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Posted Aug. 21, 2014 at 10:16 PM

Posted Aug. 21, 2014 at 10:16 PM

ROCKFORD — A 25-year-old Rockford man left paralyzed from the waist down after a fatal auto accident was booked into the Winnebago County Jail Thursday afternoon on charges of aggravated driving under the influence and reckless homicide.

Drakkar Malone is being held on $1 million bond.

On March 4, Rockford police were responding to a call of shots fired in the area of Kishwaukee Street and College Avenue and found a vehicle driven by Malone that matched the description of a vehicle seen fleeing the area after the shots were fired.

Malone, who spoke to the Register Star in March 7 interview, said he was traveling east on 15th Avenue near Beyer Elementary School when he noticed an unmarked squad traveling close behind. Instead of pulling over or slowing down, he sped up.

“They never turned their lights on,” he said.

Malone crashed into a tree. His passenger, Robert Lee Wilson, 17, of Rockford, was killed and Malone was left paralyzed from the waist down. Malone blamed Rockford police for the crash, saying that he was bumped by an unmarked squad car.

But an investigation by the Winnebago and Boone County Integrity Task Force found no evidence police made contact with Malone’s vehicle.

Earlier this week, Malone checked himself into SwedishAmerican Hospital where he was treated and released to authorities.

Thursday, Winnebago County Sheriff Dick Meyers said Malone is being held in a cell within the infirmary where medical care is provided 24 hours a day.

“He’s able to feed himself. He’s not going to be difficult to keep incarcerated,” Meyers said. “Depending on his behavior, it’s very possible he can be moved to the general population.”